EVERETT — Head coach Jordan Sieh and his Cascade High School football squad know what’s at stake each week the Bruins take the field.
Cascade, which is forgoing a league schedule to play independently this fall, needs to go unbeaten to have shot at making the playoffs. So each week presents a do-or-die game for the Bruins.
“They know we’re in a playoff run the way we look at it,” Sieh said. “From here on out, it’s loser out. … That’s the mentality.”
But even in that sort of atmosphere some wins mean a little more than others, and Friday night’s victory was the sweetest thus far for unbeaten Cascade.
Julian Thomas rushed for four touchdowns, Devin Gilbert added two receiving TDs and the Bruins defense delivered a stout performance on the way to a 55-14 thumping of Everett in the annual Battle of Broadway rivalry game.
“No matter what the records are, we really want to win this game,” Sieh said. “This is the most important game of the season. I will admit that. We say every game is the biggest, but this is the most important game. To come back and really play well and play good football, I’m really proud of this group. We’ve had no letdowns so far.”
The win was a little bit of revenge for Cascade (6-0), which has won five of the past six in the series. The one loss came last season after the Bruins let a late lead slip away and then fumbled deep in their own territory to set up a game-winning field goal for the Seagulls.
This year’s edition didn’t provide any late-game dramatics. Just more touchdowns for Cascade’s high-scoring Wing-T offense.
The Bruins, who average 44.2 points per game, struck for a number of big plays and scored on all but one possession that didn’t end in a kneel down. Thomas had three touchdowns runs of 35 yards or more. Gilbert’s TD receptions went for 28 and 44 yards yards. And the Bruins had five more plays go for at least 20 yards.
“I’m so proud (of our offense),” Thomas said. “It wouldn’t be possible without the O-line. The O-line creates everything that happens.”
Cascade running back Julian Thomas takes a long run to the house for an early score during the Battle of Broadway against Everett on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022, at Everett Memorial Stadium in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The defense also delivered stop after stop throughout the night. Everett (1-5) scored a touchdown on its first drive but didn’t reach the end zone again until its final drive when Cascade’s second unit was in on defense. The Bruins forced two turnovers and came up with three stops on fourth down.
“I think we kind of settled down a little bit (after the first drive),” Sieh said. “I’d like to say that we changed our game plan, but it was more that we just needed to fly to the football. I think after that we settled down and started making plays.”
The Bruins struck first when Gilbert wrestled a deep ball away from a defender to secure a 28-yard TD pass from Eric Sowards for a 6-0 lead.
The Seagulls answered right back. Quarterback Mauricio Garcia-Luna sliced through the Cascade defense for a 34-yard run and Emiliano Velasquez made it 7-6 Everett with a 2-yard TD run at the 9:52 mark of the first.
That lead didn’t last long. Cascade took over at the Seagulls’ 49 after an onside kick attempt, and Thomas delivered the first of his four touchdowns on the next play, racing through the Everett defense for a 49-yard score.
Cascade’s Zach Lopez takes a carry past the defense during the Battle of Broadway against Everett on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022, at Everett Memorial Stadium in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Zach Lopez’s 31-yard run set up Thomas’ 1-yard TD on the Bruins’ next drive. Thomas added a 37-yard TD run early in the second, and Charlie Nelson’s 2-yard TD run capped a nine-play, 96-yard drive that gave Cascade a 34-7 lead with seven seconds left in the first half.
Thomas scored on a 35-yard run midway through the third. Gilbert followed by hauling in a deep pass from Sowards and shaking of a tackler on his way to a 44-yard TD to go up 48-7.
Jacob Del Castillo helped Cascade tie a season-high 55 points with a 34-yard TD early in the fourth.
Everett’s Josh Smith scored a 6-yard run with 2:13 left.
Smith paced the Seagulls with 161 yards on 29 carries and Garcia-Luna added 54 yards rushing.
Everett’s Josh Smith tumbles forward after a diving catch during the Battle of Broadway against Cascade on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022, at Everett Memorial Stadium in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Thomas finished with 260 yards on just 15 carries, and Zach Lopez added 63 yards rushing. Sowards completed 3 of 4 passes for 83 yards. All three receptions went to Gilbert.
“I’m a Wing-T guy through and through, a true believer,” Sieh said. “But even I can admit when you have a great wideout, you gotta get him the ball sometimes, and he’s a huge weapon.”
With the victory, the Bruins now need to win their next two games against Meadowdale (1-5) and Cedarcrest (6-0) to qualify for a Week 9 crossover play-in game against the Wesco 3A South No. 5 seed.
“It means a lot to us,” Thomas said of the Bruins’ playoff push. “Kids here at Cascade, a lot of people gave up on us, forgot about us, but … this team continues to get better.”
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